WWF: New Power Plant Rules will Help US Kick its Coal Habit

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued the following statement from Lou Leonard, head of climate change programs, in response to the Obama Administration’s proposed power plant rules which will significantly reduce US greenhouse gas emissions:

“Our nation’s dirty electrical system is bad for our kids’ health, bad for the communities who live near coal and gas mines, and – as the leading source of carbon pollution in the US – bad for our future. The proposed rule for new fossil fuel power plants is a modest first step toward the ultimate goal of transitioning the US to 100% clean, renewable energy.

“The good news is that we don’t need to continue to build more massive, fossil fuel plants that belch carbon into our air and mercury into our water. Clean, renewable energy like solar and wind are now cost-competitive with new coal and even some natural gas plants. In many parts of America, rooftop solar panels can meet much of our electricity needs right now. Renewable electricity isn’t the future, it is the present.

“These new standards will help catalyze US efforts to kick our dirty coal habit and transition to this brighter, cleaner renewable energy future. Strong standards for both new and existing power plants are critical to meeting our international commitments to cut emissions by 2020. As next week’s International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report will confirm, we can no longer afford to hit the snooze button on reducing emissions. The time for action is now.”